About Me

  Well hello there!


Here's where you get to know a bit of my back story.  It's also the only place you'll see photos of me :)

The Big Moves (a.k.a Home Is Where the Heart Is)
I grew up in Canada.

After getting my degree in speech-language pathology my husband and I moved down to Austin. (That's me and a friend of ours in the picture.)


We lived there for 6 great years and then moved up to Seattle.


The Arts
I was once told by my third grade teacher that I couldn't draw.  I pretty much believed that until my eighth grade art teacher praised a drawing I did.  That was my last art class.  A few years ago I began getting the creative itch.  I got into mehndi:

                                    



                                               
I started sketching and oil painting.

My first oil painting:


A few sketches:

                                             My mom on her wedding day.
                                       
                                             
My parents on my wedding day.                                                 A couple of fabulous boys.
                                               









Some pumpkin carvings (why not?):

                                                  

                                          
The Athletics
Where I grew up it was hot in the summer and cold in the winter.  I dabbled in was dragged into the wealth of sports offered year round.  Every winter the canal froze over and was open to the public for skating.  I would dutifully shuffle along until every exposed and unexposed part of my body was numb.  I cross-country skied for a couple of years with my parents on the weekends and then discovered downhill skiing and did that on the weekends as a teenager.  For five summers I attended a sports camp...I broke my leg on a horse the first year.

I did a *lot* of ballet and jazz.  I was in a pre-professional program with no desire or ability to go to the 'big show'.  I called it quits at the ripe old age of 14 and went into musical theatre.  I adored it. After high school my sports endeavours included intermittent spurts of going to the gym.

So what turned me into an "athlete"?  Peer pressure from coworkers to sign up for a triathlon with no prior experience.  You know, the usual.

I semi-trained and did not fare well.

This is the last photo of me before I curled up and the paramedics came.

I thought about leaving the triathlon world far behind me after that experience, but then decided to tell the Danskin demon to suck it!  If thousands of others could do it, so could I! So I went back.

(Notice the wetsuit that time?)

And I finished the damn race!


So then I went back again!


I also did a couple of half marathons along the way.



And then, a couple of full marathons!



Here are some typical pictures of me:




Every once in a while I get silly too:




And just in case you were wondering how I draw my pictures, here's me in action (the wine really helps sometimes):



So there you have it. A little bit about little ol' me. Still want to know more?  Check out my video!


34 comments:

  1. Julie, I love this new addition to the blog! Seeing real life photos of the artist herself is such a treat :)

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  2. Hey! Love the new 'About Me' page, it's great to 'get to know' you! I love your blog pictures, but those pumpkin carvings are awesome too!

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  3. Adrian: Thanks! I figured I could put some photos on this page since they aren't anywhere else.

    Kristin: Thank you :) It's almost Halloween so I had the jack-o-lanterns on my mind...here's a secret between you and me though: you carve pumpkins off a paper template ;)

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  4. art and wine go hand in hand for me =) always! hehe! Love your about me page!!!!! And you look even prettier than your sketchy you! mwah!

    xoxo

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  5. Jenn: Aww, thank you--you're too sweet. Wine + art really is the best combo isn't it? (unless you add chocolate of course)

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  6. god i really have missed stuff. I love this page! the pic of you on the bike seriously looks like an ad. Love everything about this page. :)

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  7. Thank you Meg. TriGuy's a great photog :P

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  8. THIS IS GREAT! I don't know why I've never seen this before but I love it. I love that I get to see you....although I love your avatar ;) lol I think it's a really great story you have where the message is screw what people tell you and do what you feel like :) YAY!

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  9. Ali: Thanks! It's pretty new. I just added it about 2 months ago. Glad you liked the photos; they're the only ones of me you'll see on the site ;)

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  10. I just now caught your About Me page. Love it!

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  11. Allie: Thanks so much! It's pretty new :)

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  12. Love this page and I LOVE your blog!! I am now following =)

    Looking forward to following you in your goals for 2012 - hope no injuries get in your way!!

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  13. Michele: Thank you ma'am :) Yes! I'm hoping for no more injuries!

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  14. Clearly, I need to revamp my about me page! I love your mehndi. Very impressive!

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  15. Yvonne: Thanks :) I loved doing mehndi. Can't really have it with my current job though.

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  16. I live near Seattle too. Nice to find a local running blog:)

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  17. hiker mom: Isn't it great getting outside here? When it's not dark out by mid-afternoon?

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  18. This is a wonderful About Me page. I really enjoyed your photos, drawings & getting to know more about the real you. :)

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  19. Super Earthling: Ooh, it's been a while since I've gotten comments on this page--thanks! It's good for people to know there's a 'real me', I think.

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  20. I absolutely love this About You page! It's one of the best, most succinct ones I've read (including mine).

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  21. Bella: Thanks for commenting on this page too :)

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  22. You live in Seattle!? I live across the water. EXCITING! I lovee me some Seattle time.

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  23. Brittany: Across the water--does that mean on the Peninsula? In Hawaii? Japan? :)

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  24. Sometimes I draw for my blog. My drawings are all a mess, but I kind of think they're funny and charming, so I keep them anyway. But...despite how messy they are, I find them to be a lot of work! I'm so impressed 1) with your drawing ability, and 2) with the fact that you do so many drawings for each post! They are awesome! I love the stories and illustrations that I've seen!

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  25. Becky: Thanks so much :) My drawings started out that way too, but I find that the more I do them the easier they get. OF course, that means that I branch out and add more details, which takes more time. It does take a while but I really enjoy it! Glad you do too :D

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  26. I just found my way to your blog from SwimBikeMom. You mentioned skating on a frozen canal...does that mean you grew in in Canada's Capital? Love the drawings and the posts I read so far, can't wait to read more.

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  27. Allee: Cool! Love SwimBikeMom :D Indeed I did grow up there...did you??

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  29. I was born here, moved away, came back for University, moved away again and came back to stay 18 years ago. I just did my first Triathlon at Mooney's Bay this weekend. We have a great Triathlon series here if you ever want to re-visit.

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  30. Nice Profile!
    Caroline@ iheartrunning.com

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  31. I am not brave enough to make a video, yet the camera sits in my kitchen with high hopes. Bravo

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    Replies
    1. I hear ya!! But if I can do it so can you :)

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